“I Think He Earned Some Stripes”
February 9th, 2018
Fire up the Team Glazer jet
Intriguing words flow from northern California just 33 days before the ringing of the free agency dinner bell.
They come from former Bears defensive lineman Tim Ryan, the lead analyst on the 49ers’ radio network. That’s his latest gig after so many years co-hosting the greatest football radio show the earth has known: Movin’ The Chains on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Ryan calls it straight and always has. So Joe was very pleased to hear Ryan talk last night on NFL Radio about 49ers running back Carlos Hyde.
The 27-year-old power runner with good hands (59 catches last year) is slated to be an unrestricted free agent soon. Joe would love to see Hyde’s brand of consistency behind a suspect Niners offensive line relocate to Tampa.
Ryan was asked about possible Niners free agents, and he said he suspected the team would let Hyde test the market but he believes Hyde did enough to warrant San Francisco making him the best offer he’ll find.
“I think Carlos earned some stripes with these guys,” Ryan said.
That’s important. A savvy Xs and Os guy like Ryan watched Hyde every day of his 49ers career — four years, four freakin’ head coaches and four different offenses!– and Ryan believes Hyde earned a new contract.
Joe has written about Hyde previously. The Bucs are lacking at running back and Hyde is quite good. Simple as that. Sign him. Fill a need.
Over the past two years (29 games), Hyde has 457 carries for 1,926 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus 86 receptions. Joe will take that all day long.
February 9th, 2018 at 7:33 am
Dion Lewis
February 9th, 2018 at 7:37 am
Carlos Hyde would be a clear improvment in the running game.
I don’t know his salary at the moment but I don’t think it would be an issue according to the Bucs salary caps.
WHen I saw what latavius Murray did for the Vikings, knowing he was subject to injury if Carlos Hyde is available we clearly have to go after him !
February 9th, 2018 at 7:39 am
Dion Lewis has lost a step. Too many knee issues.
Draft a 3rd round youngster a la Kamara or Hunt.
Sign Legarrette Blount and Darren Sproles.
February 9th, 2018 at 7:49 am
Good thing licht whiffed on all those RBs last year including the rookie of the year kamara, licht has ZERO clue on building a team and that is why the bucs still have no DE, NO CBs, NO RB, but average LBs are stocked
February 9th, 2018 at 7:56 am
Hyde is the guy to go after not Bell but Licht should still look to draft a starter in the first 3 rounds.
February 9th, 2018 at 7:57 am
I’d be happy if we signed Hyde. Hes a punishing runner with deceptive speed and good hands. Would be a solid signing IMO.
February 9th, 2018 at 8:13 am
Yeah Dusthty…good thing because he was reportedly trying hard to move up and grab Dalvin Cook. I was a huge Dalvin fan. But what happens he blows out his knee early and was literally worthless.
All this crying over past draft choices is a TOTAL waste of time. Furthermore the average bust rate for NFL draft picks is 50% and Licht is clearly waaaay ahead of that curve even with Roberto Ohnono.
Bottom line…it’s not been Licht’s draft selections that have hurt us. It’s been the team’s FA pickups. Whether that is a function of the Glazers tight wallets…or a horrible pro scouting department is debatable. I would suggest it’s combination of the two. Whatever the reason we need to fix it and seriously upgrade our success ratio with FA’s.
February 9th, 2018 at 8:40 am
Problem is if Hyde would want to sign for the Bucs IF they show interest in him. As Joe states: the guy has good numbers playing behind a below average Niner OL so its likely several teams are going to be chatting with his agent when the FA dinner bell rings (if not before) and although Tampa has some things going for it (namely cap space and the lack of a state income tax) it is likely the Bucs will have stiff competition for decent talent on the FA wire and the same can be said for a decent back up QB, a pass rusher, etc.
February 9th, 2018 at 8:44 am
SPBucsFan; spot on Licht’s success rate via the draft and FA; above average on the draft side but simply one of the worst in the NFL when it comes to FA talent with very few good pickups (Fitz and Grimes come to mind along with the Bryan Anger but can anyone name anyone else who made a positive contribution?).
February 9th, 2018 at 8:45 am
The 9ers must have McWeapon ready to step in;)
I’m not against a Hyde signing, at all but, don’t we have a similar player in Barber? No, I’m not saying Barber is better. He certainly has had less chances hence, less wear and tear. However, aren’t we always looking for a speed guy, one that doesn’t get caught from behind?
February 9th, 2018 at 8:48 am
Hyde would be an instant FIX at RB. Joe said it perfectly, he’s “consistent”.
NFLNut’s been beating this drum too and I cannot disagree.
February 9th, 2018 at 8:55 am
It does not matter who they sign in free agency that running back would be temporary, you wouldn’t see their Jersey suddenly fly off the shelf. Get any mid tier free agent they want but this team better invest in the running back of the future, it’s overdue just like drafting a stud defensive end. Our best backs have always come from the draft
February 9th, 2018 at 8:59 am
I believe hyde would love to sign in Tampa. He is from Naples and played there. Might be an easier lure then we think.
February 9th, 2018 at 9:21 am
Would love to fix as many of our ‘problem areas’ in free agency as possible, rather than by-pass options there & roll the dice on the draft (only so many picks). We can ‘fix’ Guard in FA if we choose to; Center also (if we opt to move Marpet back to RG). We can ‘fix’ outside CB in FA (several good ones will surely hit the market).
RB is more of a ‘maybe’ IMO; more due to cost than anything else. Bucs simply can’t afford to pay top $$$ for every position; CAP isn’t built that way & we’ve got some very big contracts on the horizon (Jameis, ME13, Marpet, D Smith, Kwon, etc). RB is one position that we can plug a talented rookie into & expect decent results (not so with many other positions, like CB). Would still prefer to draft a talented RB in the middle rounds (say 3-5, maybe even as high as 2 depending on how we use our Rnd 1 pick). Wouldn’t mind at all going for Michel or Guice in Rnds 2-3, and potentially Bo Scarborough in Rnds 4-5.
February 9th, 2018 at 9:38 am
I’d love to get Michel or Guice in the Second round. If you know anything about Guice’s backstory, he seems like a very driven, very motivated guy. His story sounds somewhat like Mike Evans’s. Aside from all that though, he’s a powerful runner with great balance. He’d be a great pick in Rd 2, esp if we got Nelson at 7 grading the road for him.
February 9th, 2018 at 9:52 am
hyde would be nice….pair him with barber and maybe a draft pick like guice, Ronald jones or Michel and we would be all set….that’s youth experience and talent…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
February 9th, 2018 at 9:54 am
LUNCHBOX
I AGREE….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
February 9th, 2018 at 10:06 am
Isaiah Crowell…..younger and same production. On a lousy Cleveland team with no QB so teams stacked the line and he still came near 1000 yards. 24 years old 5’11 225 lbs.
February 9th, 2018 at 10:23 am
Nah. Im not on board with this one. There is no point to pay a vet RB when we see time and time again how much success rookie RBs have.
Rashaad Penny is the RB I want to see in Tampa and its for the same reason I wanted Kareem Hunt in Tampa last year. Penny will probably be there in the 3rd round and that is the perfect spot where talent meets value.
Hell Id be fine with them drafting 2 RBs this year. Penny in the 3rd and a guy like Akrum Wadley in rounds 4-5 to replace Sims.
February 9th, 2018 at 10:37 am
Overpaying for Hyde makes a lot more sense than breaking the bank for Bell.
But drafting a fresh RB in rds 2-4 every other year or so and putting that saved $ towards keeping the OLine and Dline shored up makes the most sense.
Some good backs should be available with either our 2nd or 3rd rd pick this year.
February 9th, 2018 at 11:02 am
50% draft failure is no excuse.
Same applies to every team, yet they beat us on a regular basis. The only thing that really matters.
February 9th, 2018 at 11:25 am
I think Carlos Hyde is as good or better than any RB in the draft this year (and there are some really good ones, potentially)… And Hyde is obviously more proven at the NFL level already
February 9th, 2018 at 11:38 am
@Lunchbox … “He’d be a great pick in Rd 2, esp if we got Nelson at 7 grading the road for him.” So we pick Nelson in Rnd 1, then Guice in Rnd 2, and starting in Rnd 3 we think DEFENSE. Certainly should improve the OFFENSE, however … All the top DTs & DEs will be gone by that point. But hey, we’ll have an OFFENSE that’ll score 35-40 points/game so it won’t matetr if our DEFENSE can’t stop anyone because … oh ya … once again, we threw our top round picks to the OFFENSE and ignored any semblance of balance on the DEFENSIVE side of the ball. Yup, 5-11 would sound about right … IF we’re lucky. Focus on the PRIORITY NEEDS for a change Jason.
February 9th, 2018 at 11:42 am
Oooh, that’d make a great poll question Joe. ‘How many JBFers believe that by simply adding a new LG & RB we can turn our 20 PPG offense into a 35-40 PPG offense?’ (Oops wait, don’t everyone raise your hand at once).
February 9th, 2018 at 12:10 pm
He caught 59 passes last season in Kyle Shanahan West Coast Offense. He also ran for 938 yards. But, he was target 88 times and he had 240 carries. There is no way, humanly possible, that a RB will get 328 looks in Dirk Koetter Vertical Offense. His offense basically focus on getting the ball to the WRs.
February 9th, 2018 at 12:10 pm
Zach Zenner traded Detroit a 7th rounder for him best trade you will ever make
February 9th, 2018 at 12:31 pm
He would solve the RB issue. Good age, healthy. Consistent. Can’t ask for more.
February 9th, 2018 at 12:33 pm
Defense Rules
The league average is less than 23 PPG.
Bucs are just under 22. Had our kicker been good from the start of last season, we would have been above the average.
February 9th, 2018 at 12:51 pm
look at the cowboys….their best defense was the oline and zeke as they “controlled the clock”….they were able to stop the run but their secondary was(still is) a weakness….they have some nice DT’s but only 1 real DE in lawerence…..
hopefully dirk channels his inner sean payton and abandons his high flying passing attack offense for a more run heavy scheme game in and game out…..if we can control the clock with the passing game and score 7 instead of 3 and stop the run, that would make teams 1 dimensional and predictable….much like teams did us last year…..
no doubt we need DE’s but good coaches should know how to mask holes on their team….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
February 9th, 2018 at 12:51 pm
Said he would be perfect right at season’s end. You finally caught up with me Joe. Still draft Penny, keep Barber & Quizz. Sign an undrafted rookie. It’s called COMPETITION!!! Eventually you will all catch on. COMPETITION breeds success!!!! It’s been missing on the roster for years. Lots of entitlement & laziness has gotten us nowhere. The RB problem has been solved.
February 9th, 2018 at 12:57 pm
Spend money on the Defense. If it was possible we traded back for two first rounders (DT Vea, CB Josh Jackson/ Denzel Ward), then I would be down for a RB like Michel in the second. We need defense and good defenses win games (Jacksonville turn around). If we get Nelson in the first I say give Doug one more chance along with Dirk, Smith, and Licht. We already have a good power back in Barber and I feel he’s going to continue to only get better. We need the D and Hyde is going to want a lot of dough and we got some young guys (Jameis, Evans, Ali, Kwon) coming up that are gonna want their’s and Bucs fans (including myself) would likely be very pissed to see any of those guys go. Unless it comes down to Nelson being the #7 (1. Chubb, 2. Fitzpatrick, 3. Nelson) or trade back,we need to draft defense till at least the fifth. Maybe the fourth if we could trade up our 6’s or trade some players for picks.
#SPEND MONEY ON DEFENSE!!! (Trumaine Johnson and an early round rookie or Grimes sounds good).
#BUILD THROUGH THE DRAFT!!!
February 9th, 2018 at 1:05 pm
Bucs should aggressively attempt to sign him
February 9th, 2018 at 1:13 pm
^^^^^^^^
Your out of ur mind if u think we should give Doug Martin ANOTHER chance. Lol
February 9th, 2018 at 1:22 pm
Bonzai, our offense accounted for 335 points last year. The Bucs’ defense accounted for 28 of those points (TDs by David, McClain, Glanton & Johnson), leaving 307 points attributable to the offense. Divide that by 16 games & it comes out to slightly less than 19.2 points per game average. So I was being generous when I credited our OFFENSE with scoring 20 PPG. But I digress …
February 9th, 2018 at 1:36 pm
This is the problem….Bucs fans get so hype for these free agent signings. Then when they sign a top free agent and pay him. The Bucs coaches don’t know how to use him and he become a flop in the eyes of Buc fans. Then he get run…straight out of Tampa, then he goes to another team and perform well and win.
February 9th, 2018 at 1:37 pm
@Defense Rules-What I described above was one scenario I’d be happy with if it happened that way. But I’m talking about Nelson assuming Chubb is gone by #7. I also think Nelson is better than Fitzpatrick, but I wouldn’t be upset if we took Fitzpatrick at #7 either. My thinking is this: Is Chubb likely to be your DE 10 years from now? I’d say yes probably. Is Fitz gonna be your S/CB 10 yrs from now? Maybe. Is Nelson gonna be your Guard 10 years from now? I feel more confident saying yes to him than anyone else that will be there @ 7. Think Larry Allen. Think Zach Martin. I think Nelson will be compared to those guys. And with Marpet back at G (hopefully) that likely will help whoever we have at C. But again, if we go with Chubb or Fitz, there will be no complaining out of me.
February 9th, 2018 at 1:52 pm
If the Bucs draft Bradley Chubb, Sony Michel in rounds 1-2. Then sign Dontari Poe, Demarcus Lawrence in free agency. This don’t automatically make them a playoff team. They still need the right coaching, that’s the most important factor in winning football games.
February 9th, 2018 at 2:04 pm
@Bonzai
Good age? Debatable since his contract will take him over that magical age of 30 for a RB.
Healthy? He just had his first healthy season in his 4 year career. Had a combined 9 injuries in his first 3 seasons including 2 concussions and a torn MCL.
February 9th, 2018 at 2:07 pm
We should be worrying about signing a vet RB if we are 1 RB away from contending. We all can agree that we arent that close.
February 9th, 2018 at 3:06 pm
Lakeland:
I would love for the Bucs to sign Demarcus Lawrence, but even his agent has already said the Cowboys are going to franchise him if they are not able to get a long term deal signed.
February 9th, 2018 at 3:36 pm
teacherman777 Says:
February 9th, 2018 at 7:39 am
Dion Lewis has lost a step. Too many knee issues.
Draft a 3rd round youngster a la Kamara or Hunt.
Sign Legarrette Blount and Darren Sproles.
—————————————————-
So, you don’t want Lewis because of his injury history but want Sproles (who has an injury history) – makes sense….Nevermind that Lewis was very productive this season:
Stats:
Games: 16
Total Yards: 1,680
Total Touchdowns: 10
Rushing:
Attempts: 180
Yards: 896
Average Yards Per Game: 56.0
Average Yards Per Carry: 5.0
Touchdowns: 6
Receiving:
Receptions: 32
Yards: 214
Average Yards Per Game: 13.4
Average Yards Per Reception: 6.7
Touchdowns: 3
Kick Return:
Returns: 23
Average Yards Per Return: 24.8
Yards: 570
Longest Return: 103 Yards
Touchdowns: 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91GGoIvudBQ
February 9th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Hyde will be a good back that will average 2.9ypc if Dirk just has him running up the middle on every first down in the first half and never calls a play action pass or never does anything to mix it up like he did for almost the entire season.
I like Hyde, I think it would be a quality signing, but if Dirk uses him like he used Martin you’re going to get similar results. Dirk simply doing a better job of coaching and calling plays will do more to fix the running game than any player.
Also if you do go get Hyde, which again I like, then get a real NFL C and move Marpet back to G – this also would be a big help. Marpet is a special talent at G, but at C he’s out of position and it hurts the entire line. Just get a C, then hope Dotson is back and healthy – those happen and I think Sweezy is better too, at least in the running game, which is why they signed him.
February 9th, 2018 at 3:45 pm
There is literally NO chance that Demarcus Lawrence isn’t staying in Dallas. The Cowboys will cut one of their offensive lineman to make space if they have too before they’re going to get rid of a 25-year old DE who is coming off a 15 sack season.
Speaking of which the Bucs should call the Cowboys and see if they’re willing to deal an offensive lineman. I don’t think the Bucs have the chance to sign anyone on the open market with the team in flux, so doing a late round trade to get someone might be the route to go. Obviously I’d ask about Demarcus Lawrence, but after they get done laughing for 12 straight minutes, that’s when you can bring up other names and see what they say.
February 9th, 2018 at 5:21 pm
****************
I’VE BEEN TRUMPETING CARLOS HYDE FOR MONTHS AND WANT HIM IN TAMPA!
The guy is a stud all-purpose RB, still just 27 (so give him a 5 year deal with guaranteed money in just the first 3 years, so he’s only “locked-in” through the age of 29) and for my money, would be MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better than spending a draft pick on a RB (other than Saquon) as that pick could be spent on a more valuable position like DE, DT, OG, OT, CB, or SS!
LICHT, BRING CARLOS HYDE TO TAMPA ON DAY 1 OF FREE AGENCY … along with Ziggy Ansah, Trumaine Johnson (or Malcolm Butler), either Dontari Poe or Justin Ellis and a safety (LaMarcus Joyner, Eric Reid or Tre Boston)!!!!!
****************
February 9th, 2018 at 5:23 pm
I might be the only one here that doesn’t want Hyde. I’m hoping we pick up a RB in round 2 or 3 of the draft that can grow with our mostly young Offense. Fresh legs, cheap and more upside than Hyde, IMO. Maybe that’s just me remembering Aikman, Irving and Smith from my younger days! Lol
February 9th, 2018 at 5:37 pm
Joey, I agree with you. I like Penny almost as much as I liked Hunt, but I don’t think Penny lasts until our 3rd round pick.
February 9th, 2018 at 5:43 pm
^ BUCCANEERIC75 … you’re not wrong in hoping for a young RB in the 2nd round that can grow with the offense, and if one could guarantee me that we could draft a Derrius Guice or Sony Michel or Ronald Jones in the 2nd round and that such a back would stay healthy for 5+ years, I might be all for it.
However, I just don’t value RBs and don’t trust that they can stay healthy or be depended on … and … I really value draft picks, especially 1st through 4th round draft picks and I would almost ALWAYS rather use such draft picks on more valuable positions than RB.
February 9th, 2018 at 6:28 pm
Nut, I hear ya, and I would agree with not drafting a RB in the first round, but 2-3 is where a lot of the top backs are found. I don’t think our OLine is as bad at run blocking as others think, and I was dead wrong about Doug Martin. I really think if we can hit on a RB in the draft our offense would change dramatically. I would want LeVeon Bell, but tying 15 Mil a year on a RB would take money away from any Defensive FA that we sorely need. You are correct when you say you can’t count on a RB staying healthy, but you can say that about any RB, Draft pick or FA, or any position for that matter. Depends on the player. Hindsite is 20/20, but if we are talking about RB and Saftey, I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have Kareem Hunt and Minkah Fitzpatrick over Carlos Hyde and Justin Evans. If we take Hunt in RD 2 last year we would have our RB and we could draft a “better” Saftey in the 1st this year and no one is talking about Hyde.
February 9th, 2018 at 6:30 pm
Nut, I know it’s speculation and we know all about “ ifs and buts”, but it’s interesting to think about.
February 9th, 2018 at 6:57 pm
BuccaneEric75 – The Bucs need multiple defensive ends, multiple corners, another safety, another defensive tackle and depth all along the offensive line. Spending a pick on a RB should be at the bottom of the to-do list. There is literally no reason to draft a RB in the 2nd or 3rd when you can find a RB nearly anywhere. If the offensive line isn’t fixed and if Dirk is running straight up the gut on first down when teams are run blitzing up the middle, then it won’t matter who is at RB. Sign a proven guy on a front loaded deal because the team needs to win now and has cap space and the defensive talent in FA is very very weak.
February 9th, 2018 at 7:37 pm
I just don’t see a lot of players wanting to come here. It’s a mess, with a wacky coaching staff. You could end up rotating with other players, no matter how good you are.
February 9th, 2018 at 8:08 pm
Rod, we do have a lot of needs, and RB is one of them. Ask Snoop Dog McPlaybook if you can just magically find RBs everywhere. Maybe ones that can play, but not stars. Maybe the predictable run calls you talked about are what made the OL look like it can’t run block, I think it can. We can argue about coaching all we want, but we still need a game changing RB. Odds are that you can find a good RB in rounds 2 or 3. Not many good DEs are found after round 1.
February 10th, 2018 at 1:28 am
BuccaneEric75 – On the list of needs RB is way down there and spending a top pick on one means leaving glaring holes elsewhere. The Bucs don’t need stars at every offensive position, they have a ton of offensive talent – what they need is better coaching and play calling. Dirk, once he remembered what a play action pass was and started running it on 1st down, he made Barber more than serviceable and he’s about as bland as you get as a RB. Also when I said you can find a RB anywhere, I was mainly talking about in free agency – thus you don’t need to spend a pick in the draft on one, but look at the RB’s in the draft, Blount (UDFA), James White (4th round), Dion Lewis (5th round), Jay Ajayi (5th round).
I agree with not finding DE’s past the 1st round, but you can find plenty of corners and safeties. I’m not going to be upset if the Bucs get some great talent in round 2 or 3, but to me spend some of that cap space on a RB and finally start drafting defensive guys to give you some depth on defensive. Ideally, assuming Chubb is gone which is likely, the Bucs can swing a deal with Buffalo to get their 1st two picks, I don’t think it will happen, but if they did that would help and give more flexibility.
But RBs in FA will be there, and we don’t need a guy for the next 5 years, we need a guy for the next 2 years until Winston gets paid THEN we need a guy locked up for 4-5 years on a cheap salary.
February 10th, 2018 at 8:39 am
If we don’t upgrade our defense, we will be sorry, IMO. In the end, that is the issue. We can’t and have not been able to get stops when we absolutely have to have them. Some of that is coaching, but it’s easier to be effective coaching in the NFL when you have good players. Get better players on the dline and, probably a Defensive back, and coach better…that’s where I would focus (not all I would do, but FOCUS). Go Bucs!
February 11th, 2018 at 1:20 pm
Get Hyde as Free Agent. Trade down in the first round and take a LT in the lower first round like Brown. Then use your new second round pick for Penny, a breakaway RB who is a great returner too for Special Teams. Then move Smith to LG where he will be an All Pro eventually. Get the Center from the Ravens in Free Agency so you can move Marpet or use the third pick for the Michigan State Center. The regular Second Pick should be used for best available DE.
February 11th, 2018 at 1:31 pm
In a three four you could have our huge DT we got from Southern Cal last year in the middle and McCoy as the three technique on one side and then our former Seattle Free Agent on the other side. Have Noah Spence as the LOLB and put David as the ROLB and our two LSU LBs in the middle. Our Second pick DE could also play OLB too in order to keep fresh pressure on the opposing QB!